Hello and welcome back to Retro Revival, the series where I cover classic games that have been given a second chance of life. Here I discuss HD remasters, emulated ports and compilations, in part or as a whole. This week, I will be starting my odyssey into the NEO GEO library for this feature, starting with Crossed Swords, a Hack and Slash action RPG released in 1991. The featured release is available via the ACA NEO GEO series through Hamster.
Disclaimer: the games discussed in this feature have been my own purchases, so all the opinions contained within are my own. There has been no sponsorship of the content in this feature, with links to the different versions where possible. There is also a version of the game available via GOG, which will be linked at the bottom, but not discussed here.
So with the introductions out of the way, let’s get started. I will be discussing the general gameplay experience, then providing my personal thoughts on the release.
About the game
Crossed Swords is a Hack and Slash action RPG, set in the mystical land of Belkana, which is being terrorised by monsters that have been attacking settlements. These creatures are commanded by the Demon Lord Nausizz, who commands the forces that are ravaging the land. A Knight enters the land of Belkana, with the goal to defeat the Demon Lord. The warrior starts in the Village of Dio, before fighting their way across the land to stop the enemy forces.
This title is a pseudo first person game, with the player character appearing on screen as a wire frame. As the player makes their way through the stages, they will encounter deadly monsters that must be slain to progress. These foes include giant armored humanoid rats, goblin like monsters and the deadly fire breathing Caterdragon. These creatures will attack the warrior in waves, either appearing individually or in groups.
Each of the battles takes place in mostly static scenes, with a preset amount of enemies that appear. To fight against the enemies, the player has their sword that they can attack high, low or in a combination by pressing the sword button. Then there is the shield, which can block attacks, as the enemies will strike from either high or low positions. This makes the combat very reactive, but leaves some guess work as powerful foes can attack quickly.
As the player fights, a meter will fill up and provide a power boost when it is full. But if the player takes damage or the attack is blocked, the meter will lose energy, weakening the attack power. The player will also have access to a limited amount of magic, which will be affected by the weapon the player is holding. These magic powers can deal tremendous amount of damage, but due to their limitations players must use them tactically.
There will also be the ability to unleash a special ultimate power attack, by pressing the magic and attack buttons, unleashing a storm of strikes. This is the strongest attack the player has access too, but it is a desperation attack and will use up the player health. If the player loses all of their health, they will fall and need to use a credit to continue the fight. As enemies are defeated, they will drop gold that can be collected, but they can also drop life up items.
The player will also gain experience as the enemies are defeated, which will level the player up and make them stronger. As levels are gained, the player will have their health increased, making them more resilient to damage from enemies. If the player does die, they will keep the experience they have gained, along with the gold that has been collected. At set points during the game, there will be merchants who sell weapons, offering more powerful attacks.
At the end of each stage, the player will encounter a dangerous boss monster, who will need a lot of damage to defeat them. This is where the magic and desperation attacks are the most useful, as they can shred the enemy health bar. There will also be an event scene that plays out around boss battles, giving narrative details on the quest of the player. But these will also appear during other sections of the game, sometimes giving hints and tips.
When the player starts the game, they will be given the option of three starting points. These are the first three chapters of the adventure, with the player jumping in at the level matching the chapter and a set amount of gold. This also offers two player simultaneous play, with the screen splitting into two and the player fighting their own enemies. But the foes can jump between the sides, switching the player that they will attack.
When a player joins the game, they will be at a matching level to the player, with the same amount of gold the other player has. This keeps the game balanced, with the new player having a fair chance to survive the battles. Either player can drop in at any point during the battle, but it is recommended to wait until a merchant is available to buy weapons.
As this is an Arcade Archives release, there are several features for players to use during play. In the standard version, there will be the Japanese and International release, which are identical aside from the text used. Then there are the High Score and Caravan modes, which provide a bonus challenge for players. There will also be a full suite of options, offering players the chance to adjust difficulty, display, controls and view a manual for the game to round it out.
Personal Thoughts
I am a fan of the NEOGEO and the library of games that are available on it, with this being one of the unique stand out action games. This is due to the unique gameplay element of using wireframe style characters, against enemies in a front facing view, which was very rare at the time. This was also one o my first experiences with an action RPG, although I didn’t know it at the time. There are all of the elements of classic fantasy present, but with some unique touches.
The creature designs are fairly unique, with the Caterdragon being especially memorable, but there were others like the fishmen and goat swordsman. This made it stand out to the other games within the same setting, as many other fantasy games used generic enemies like skeletons, bandits and dragons. The cutscenes are also a nice addition, as they add life to the world presented, which was not all that common during the period it was released.
The combat is also a lot of fun, as it offers a reactive and exciting battle system. But it can be a little frustrating at later points and especially during boss fights. This is due to the way that powerful foes can become too fast to react, but as it is an arcade game, there is the ability to play the game with unlimited continues. Players will also be able to adjust the difficulty of the game, which can alleviate some of these issues encountered in play.
Then we have the two player mode, which is a lot of fun and can be a great time when you have another person in the room. This can be either co-operative or competitive, with players competing to take down enemies faster, getting the last hit on a boss or to have the most gold. This dual action can also make the gameplay more exciting, as for some players the gameplay loop may start to become repetitive, due to the simple combo system.
I have a lot of fun with this game, as it takes the style that was introduced with the first Punch-Out arcade game, and elevating it with a whole new genre. Then there are the high quality sprites and backgrounds, thanks to the revolutionary NEOGEO hardware, which were identical between the home and arcade systems. This allowed the exact experience in the arcade to be brought to the home, although the system was very expensive at the time.
It is not a grand multi hour experience, with the main experience taking about an hour from start to finish. But there are branching paths, different weapon choices and the multiplayer option, which allows for some enhanced replay value added to the experience. There are also the extra challenge modes, where the player must try to get the highest EXP score in a single credit or a limited time, with scores being uploaded to a global leaderboard.
This is included in the ACA NEOGEO Selection series, which are compiled selections of games. These bundles omit the extra modes and only have one language version, but all of the settings, game content and online rankings for the version included are present. These compiled versions are exclusively available for the Asian and Japanese market, this means they need to be imported or picked up from resellers on the secondary market.
This is one of those special unique game experiences, which I feel should be played by everyone. Thankfully for those who are unsure of purchasing, the game does go on sale often. The NEOGEO is one of those systems that had been mostly forgotten about, falling into obscurity after it was discontinued in 1997. The ACA NEOGEO series have brought these classics back, allowing a whole new generation to be able to experience gaming history.
If you have enjoyed this feature, then take a look at the other content available and see what catches your eye. There are reviews, sometimes news and features that cover a variety of games. There is the lost gems series, special Gaming Oddities and more coming in the future. So stick around for a while and check out the other content.
Link to Nintendo Switch Version (HERE)
Link to PlayStation version (HERE)
Link to Xbox version (HERE)
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